CITY council officials have spent eight months working on a deal to bring a new green energy food production complex to Hull, the Mail can reveal today.
Confirmation of a potential £300m investment in the city by the as yet unnamed company was announced by council leader Steve Brady this week.
It followed months of secret negotiations between council representatives and company executives.
Full details of the proposed development have yet to be released.
However, the Mail can reveal:
• Agreement has now been reached on options for a council-owned site to the east of the city.
• The site near Hedon Road covers around 140 acres.
• The council and the company have been in talks since early last summer.
• The ambitious project is based on the concept of a green eco-park, combining a new biomass power station with potential agricultural and fish farm production.
• Power generated from the plant would supply energy to production facilities at the site as well as the National Grid.
Agreement on the new investment between the council and the firm is expected to be sealed within the next few weeks.
However, any final go-ahead will depend on securing planning permission, as well as operating consent from the Environment Agency. If approved, it could take at least two years for the plant to be constructed and become fully operational.
Councillor Phil Webster, cabinet member for finance, said the authority had agreed to keep full details of the project under wraps until the company was ready to confirm its intentions.
"We cannot say very much at this stage but we have been assured this will create 751 permanent on-site jobs.
"That figure is in addition to the construction jobs that will come out of this.
"As a council we will be looking to ensure as many of those construction jobs will be made available to local people."
Despite Councillor Brady's surprise announcement during Thursday's full council meeting, it is believed the release of limited information about the proposed development had been agreed in advance by company officials.
The news follows recent planning approval for a £35m wood-burning power station at Hull's King George Dock.
French firm CHO Power will build and operate the plant, which is expected to create 30 permanent jobs and an additional 50 jobs during its construction.
A spokesman for CHO Power said: "We are delighted the planning authority consented this development. We recognise here the commitment of local authorities to support industrial initiatives for renewable energies."
